to anyone wanting to abandon their dog PLEASE READ THIS

falabo

http://cats.about.com/library/guest/ucfeature25a.htm

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh.

You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" - but then you'd relent, and roll me over for a bellyrub.

. . .

gimmick

Thats incredible. Lump in the throat

él statutorio

Could this be made a sticky?

Léan

Couldn't make my way all the way through that, starting bawling half way down .

mitosis

and when you turned your back I pissed on the fridge and ate your children.

No disrespect to you OP, but that's schmaltzy American crap.

Indricotherium

This type of anthropomorphism of dogs really gets to me. It actually freaks me out a bit.

Dogs are not capable of high level conscious thought like this.

Beyond that, I think anyone who has decided to, or would decide to abandon their dog is unlikely to be swayed by this block of unreadable drivel.

Mr. Manager

mitosis wrote: »

and when you turned your back I pissed on the fridge and ate your children.

No disrespect to you OP, but that's schmaltzy American crap.

So what if your dog pissed on the fridge. Mine pissed on the curtains not too long ago. Still love the little fella. I even just posted about how he chewed my phone line, waited for me to re-wire the apartment then chewed it up again.

You've no heart if, after reading that, you would still put up your dog.

falabo

Snip.

Jerrica

They have a point though. Dog abandonment is abhorrent, but I don't agree with using what amounts to emotional blackmail to discourage it. Dogs can't and don't think like that, it's not really a fair representation.

If someone is cold enough to abandon a dog they'll be cold enough not to let that kind of stuff get to them.

falabo

Jerrica wrote: »

They have a point though. Dog abandonment is abhorrent, but I don't agree with using what amounts to emotional blackmail to discourage it. Dogs can't and don't think like that, it's not really a fair representation.

If someone is cold enough to abandon a dog they'll be cold enough not to let that kind of stuff get to them.

have u conducted studies that show dogs don't have emotions and cannot "miss their owner" ? ? ? ?

fatmammycat

To be fair, one can be an animal lover and dislike sentimental fluff like this and that god awful rainbow bridge poem.

Gurgle

Indricotherium wrote: »

This type of anthropomorphism of dogs really gets to me. It actually freaks me out a bit.

Dogs are not capable of high level conscious thought like this.

falabo wrote: »

GO AWAY from this forum then. this is a discussion board for ANIMAL LOVERS.

One can be an animal lover without pretending animals are people.

If you really want to get picky about it, pretending the animal is a person is unfair to the beast. Love it for what it is, not as an avatar for your imaginary friend.

mitosis wrote:

that's schmaltzy American crap

^^ This.

DBB

Ok folks, that's enough. Let's keep it civil.
If any posters have a problem with what others say, please report the post rather than replying to them
I will be watching this thread closely. Any more flaming, or off-topic comments will result in infractions and bans, and the thread, which was presumably meant not to provoke argument, will be closed.
Please do not reply to this post here. Any communication about this post must be directed via PM.
DBB

falabo

fatmammycat wrote: »

To be fair, one can be an animal lover and dislike sentimental fluff like this and that god awful rainbow bridge poem.

yeah sure you probably prefer to read about the price of houses , holiday homes in Dubai that you'll never see etc . . .

This country since the "Celtic Tiger" . . . .

fatmammycat

falabo wrote: »

yeah sure you probably prefer to read about the price of houses , holiday homes in Dubai that you'll never see etc . . .

This country since the "Celtic Tiger" . . . .

No, I don't and you need to calm down a little. Some people like this kind of thing; others don't, it doesn't make them any less of an animal lover if they fall into the latter group.

DBB

Falabo, as you posted shortly after my on-thread warning, I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you did not see my warning prior to posting.
Everyone is perfectly entitled to make a comment and give their opinion if it is reasonable and inoffensively phrased, whether you agree with it or not.
Again, keep it civil. Final warning.
DBB

Jerrica

falabo wrote: »

have u conducted studies that show dogs don't have emotions and cannot "miss their owner" ? ? ? ?

You're completely misunderstanding what I said

Indricotherium said they dislike the anthropomorphising of dogs. Dogs do not think like humans - biologically and neurologically they can't. Whether or not they have emotions is a totally different story.

Yes I do think that dogs can miss their owner, but not in the way that we as humans interpret it. And were dogs to have a voice (again, another anthropomorphic touch), they would not have the cognisance to be able to speak like the text in the OP.

I'm a dog lover, but I dislike the kind of manipulation used in the text of the OP. If anything I think it does a disservice to dogs.

peteb2

I have to say that whilst it would upset me reading something like that ,it makes a sweeping assumption that people who make the decision to give up their pets do it with no sense of regret whatsoever and that in someway it was an easy decision for them to make. Which is completely unfair.

zef

I am an animal lover and i don't do 'schmaltzy american crap' either.
Emotional masturbation imho.

Kashkai

Thank God for the feedback on this thread. I've had dogs since i was 10 years old. I've always kept my dogs for their whole lifespan of 15 years or thereabouts and therefore I'm not a "puppy for Christmas, stray for new year" type. I play with them, walk them, feed them well, take care of their health needs, but do I think they are people with the same thoughts and feelings? NO! Do I cherish them above my kids? NO. Would I make excuses if he bit someone for no reason? NO.

Tbh, some people adore and cherish their dogs above everything and everyone else. That's fine for them. However these same people expect everyone else to behave the same way or else they are labelled cruel and inhumane. I posted on this forum for advice a year ago when our newly acquired rescue dog scratched my baby's face and bit his hand when he had a biscuit. He also bit me the same day when I was putting his leash on. When I mentioned that I had then smacked him on the nose, I was berated as a horrible individual who should not own a dog. One year on, and this "horrible individual" is greeted at the gate every evening by his dog with his tail wagging off him. He's extremely well behaved now but very playful too. He's well settled into our family and the kids love him. He has a very cute way about him and is very intelligent. I wouldn't part with him for the world. However, I don't let him sleep inside except when it's cold as I believe a dogs place is outside. As for him, he doesn't like being in the house anyway and he prefers to be outside. Even if I do decide to bring him in, I have to almost carry him in. A lot of rescue centres insist on a dog sleeping inside the house or they won't let you have their dog. Why were kennels invented then?

Ok, I've gone off track here but my point is, dogs are wonderful pets, very loyal, playful, bring great joy to their families and are the best defence against burglars. However, they should never be raised up to the level of a person.

falabo

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

should never be raised up to the level of a person.

did I mention that dogs should be treated as humans ?

they deserve as good a treatment as humans, but in a different way.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. Mahatma Ghandi.

Indricotherium

zef wrote: »

I am an animal lover and i don't do 'schmaltzy american crap' either.
Emotional masturbation imho.

100% and this is why it freaks me out.

I do have to say that I feel there is an element of trolling in posting the likes of the op's essay and then criticising any sort different opinion.

I am an Animal lover. I have a hape of pets. Dog, cat, hens, and recently turtles.

I get great enjoyment from owning these animals. However while I know the dog enjoys fetching a ball or hiking in Wicklow I am 100% aware that he is a dog and that he is not capable of conscious thought on the same level as humans.

My original point, that has apparently been ignored is that the ridiculous anthropomorphic yarn the OP has written is unlikely to sway the panto villain he or she imagines heartlessly casting away their dog.

Gurgle

Indricotherium wrote: »

the ridiculous anthropomorphic yarn the OP has written...

Oh come on, it was obviously a copy & paste job.

Here's a link, it may not be the original publishing but at least the author is credited.

Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a non commercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice.

gimmick

The article has had a reason to it. Sometimes you need to go way over the top in order to strike a point home.

Some people see getting a dog as all loveliness and fun, not realising that there is a huge responsibility goes along with the whole thing. It is these types who this type of article is aimed at.

And the Christmas brigade as well I guess.

Kashkai

gimmick wrote: »

The article has had a reason to it. Sometimes you need to go way over the top in order to strike a point home.

Some people see getting a dog as all loveliness and fun, not realising that there is a huge responsibility goes along with the whole thing. It is these types who this type of article is aimed at.

And the Christmas brigade as well I guess.

Excellent point there. A dog is for life and not for a few days/weeks. I see a lot of ads on Donedeal where dogs are being offered up as the owner is "emigrating". If I was emigrating, I'd bring the dog along too. I suspect a lot of these people are really just trying to get rid of their dogs as they have become too much trouble. However they have a bit of a conscience in that they don't want to bring it to a pound to get destroyed and so try and find a new home for it.

DBB

I am closing this thread for now to await the correct permissions to be sought by the OP. Falabo, when you have found the appropriate link, please PM me. I will reopen the thread then.

Cherry Blossom

As DBB has stated, the OP is in breach of copyright laws, I have linked to an external site that has valid permission.

OP - Do not start any more threads like this, unless you are going to include some valid discussion points in the opening post and not just use this forum as a notice board to copy and paste randomly from elsewhere on the internet.

Thread Re-opened

3ndahalfof6

my reading of it left me with the sense that the dog was selfish, but I guess that's the human input on trying to think for another species.

Indricotherium

Yeah... If you think of the pov character as a human it seems slightly psychotic.

sligoface

while it is schmaltzy, it gets the point across, and the point is that some people will take the decision to surrender a pet very lightly, and never think about what distress the abandoned animal or shelter workers have to go through, after the former owners wash their hands of any responsibility.
for some people, once the pet is any kind of inconvenience they dump it.
obviously being so uncaring to such a loyal and loving creature, which depends on you completely for everything, is horrible. even if they don't think like humans, anyone who has ever been around dogs knows they can definitely become distressed or feel sadness, and if we can relate to those feelings, we should take care of them.

the fact that a dog cannot just take care of itself is because the human race domesticated them, so we do bear responsibility for their well-being, especially if we decide to bring one into our home because we want their love and companionship.

furthermore, it highlights that this casual attitude towards animal ownership is not only unfair to the animal, but extremely unfair to the shelter workers who are often tasked with trying to rehome an older dog to a good home, which can be extremely difficult as people tend to want pups. and when the shelter gets full or the dog is there for so long that it is just too cruel to keep it in a cage any longer, the shelter worker, who presumably works with animals because they love them, is put into the position of having to kill an animal some other selfish jerk abandoned.

if you're against the whole 'raising dogs to the level of humans thing', fine. but every time a human shelter worker has to put down an abandoned dog, their heart breaks a little, too. and if it takes a schmaltzy as heck poem to bring attention to that, then i'm all for the schmaltz.

Rabidlamb

Unfortunately it's written in an over sentimental style like those e-mail harvesting chain mails of old, "last chance to save our beloved [insert name here]" or "fallen heroes of 9/11", send to 20 people so the dream lives on etc.
The main error of the piece is elevating the dog's consciousness to that of a human, this concept is too Disney hence the pieces looses all reality straight away.
I can see however how it could appeal to some of the Facebook generation who like to publish any life affirming or heart string pulling crap they lay eyes on.

The Sweeper

I've blocked friends of mine on facebook who post:

Animal rights or ethics posters
Pictures of injured animals that they want you to 'like' to prevent cruelty (how does that prevent cruelty, exactly?)
Schmalzy poems about animals and the rainbow bridge and so on
A broad variety of anti-BSL pictures

I own seven rescue pets. I have fostered cats and kittens for rehoming. I have a bull breed cross who may one day run foul of the restricted breed laws. I have written letters to ministers and my local representative regarding breed specific legislation. I have marched in protest marches against breed specific legislation.

On this basis:

I am not likely to dump my dog in a pound. Please don't send me anything schmalzy about it. I've been in pounds. I've volunteered in a pound. It's entirely possible I've spent more time in a pound than you have.

Do not send me animal cruelty photographs. Some of my pets have suffered cruelty and neglect in their lives. I do not need a photographic reminder. I will never feed a pet a firecracker, or beat an animal, I will never starve them, burn them or fight them for my entertainment. I am fully and acutely aware that it goes on. I don't need to see pictures of it.

Poems and poorly made posters irritate me because I think, take the time you spent forwarding this, or editing it, or indeed writing it, or photoshopping it or whatever - take that time and use it to do something for animal welfare. Even if it means calling the pound and asking if they need old towels or blankets, and driving yours down there. Or find a local shelter and offer it support - time, money, old items you don't need any more, a saturday morning selling raffle tickets to raise money, whatever.

Decide to do sometihng to raise money for your local no-kill shelter. Get friends and family to sponsor you to grow a beard and shave it off, or shave your head. Enrol for a local fun-run and get sponsorship.

It's most frustrating because most of these posters, poems, schmalzy stories and so on really are emotional masturbation because they're aimed at people who are already animal supporters and would be highly unlikely to harm an animal deliberately.

What some animal lovers could do with is pictures of fat pets reminding them that without opposable thumbs, they can't open the kibble packet, the tin, the treat bag or the fridge themselves, so it's not their fault they're fat... o_O

Vince32

This thing called empathy is what sets humans apart from the animal kingdom, to imagine or feel another's pain as your own, or to try and help people realise that putting an animal in a shelter will most likely result in it's destruction, since the adoption / fostering numbers are so low. But this we know, and if your left with no choice but to get rid of your animals, find them a home yourself, after all the love and affection the animal shows you. it really is the least you can do.

Every animal deserves a good home, and if someone is too cold hearted or shut off from the world they think poems about the death of a loved one, or once loved one, are tripe, drivel or crap, the same poems that were written to lessen suffering the loss of a pet, or to show people the real truth about what happens to most sheltered animals in the long run, and try to extend the precious life of an animal by even a single day, then shame on you, and I hope when your time comes, no one cries for you, to respect and reflect your wishes and thoughts on the subject.

For those of us still attached to our humanity, you have our thanks for the stirring poem and food for thought.

Vince
EDIT:
Who knows what effect reading that poem might of had on someone, perhaps it was enough to get them to reconsider giving up their dog in the first place, or volunteer themselves for the first time, or make a donation that they otherwise may not have, and to called emotionally whaching off, well that's... that to me sounds like you've seen far to much of your fair share of suffering and perhaps closed a road for you that should of remained open.
If everyone who has had a say, or read this thread donates 20 euros to a non kill shelter, would it still be emotional whaching off?
anyways, keep up the good fight, the more people helping out, the better it will be for all concerned.

Vince

The Sweeper

Vince32 wrote: »

shame on you, and I hope when your time comes, no one cries for you, to respect and reflect your wishes and thoughts on the subject.

Your empathy for human beings is profound. ...or not.

And I'm quite sure if you post my death on facebook there'll be plenty of shares, tears, people declaring they're bawling their eyes out, and a great big bunch of likes.

...I, however, will still be dead. Not dissimilar to pound dogs after someone reads some trite piece of social-networked schmalz.

fatmammycat

Vince32 wrote: »

This thing called empathy is what sets humans apart from the animal kingdom, to imagine or feel another's pain as your own, or to try and help people realise that putting an animal in a shelter will most likely result in it's destruction, since the adoption / fostering numbers are so low. But this we know, and if your left with no choice but to get rid of your animals, find them a home yourself, after all the love and affection the animal shows you. it really is the least you can do.

Every animal deserves a good home, and if someone is too cold hearted or shut off from the world they think poems about the death of a loved one, or once loved one, are tripe, drivel or crap, the same poems that were written to lessen suffering the loss of a pet, or to show people the real truth about what happens to most sheltered animals in the long run, and try to extend the precious life of an animal by even a single day, then shame on you, and I hope when your time comes, no one cries for you, to respect and reflect your wishes and thoughts on the subject.

For those of us still attached to our humanity, you have our thanks for the stirring poem and food for thought.

Vince
EDIT:
Who knows what effect reading that poem might of had on someone, perhaps it was enough to get them to reconsider giving up their dog in the first place, or volunteer themselves for the first time, or make a donation that they otherwise may not have, and to called emotionally whaching off, well that's... that to me sounds like you've seen far to much of your fair share of suffering and perhaps closed a road for you that should of remained open.
If everyone who has had a say, or read this thread donates 20 euros to a non kill shelter, would it still be emotional whaching off?
anyways, keep up the good fight, the more people helping out, the better it will be for all concerned.

Vince

Ugh, give over. People who find this kind of thing twee are cold-hearted and should feel shame? I must let my rescue cats know that my heart is a lump of granite so. They will be surprised.

Vince32

Sweeper, just FYI, just because you were the poster above me, doesn't mean I was speaking of you directly, so I hope you didn't take what I had to say personally, or maybe you did... who knows.
================================

There are many people out there who give time and resources they have to spare to shelters and animals in need, and there are many who do not, what may I ask would be the tipping point for someone to decide to want to help out? a touching poem, a funny story, a personal tragedy, or just plain old boredom and a break from the norm?

I'm almost certain poems like this one have had a profound effect on owners in grief, bystanders and people thinking about surrendering their animals to a shelter, and may of infact saved a few lives in the process.

People may not appreciate the full impact of a thing, and the power emotions have over us, love hate, sorrow or joy, but however anyone chooses to view the world is their own business, but when people set aside their personal feelings on a topic of interest for a moment a look at how a thing might impact a situation, they would see a poem, is just a poem, but the effect it can have on the bigger picture is sort of like the butterfly effect, and can impact thousands of people and animals, and make a positive change to their lives.

I cannot see how a poem, however soppy and whatever heartstrings it may pull on, could possibly have negative effect on anything, if anything it would ony create more volunteers and donations, rather than create less, so how anyone could not see it's value is beyond me.

But I didn't come on here to argue the point, just clarify my meaning, and now I've done that, I hope you can at least understand my meaning, without feeling the need to tell people to stop writing silly poems and get out there and help if you really want to do something positive.

Vince

Seb_bixby

I'm not one for the emotional stuff you see all over the place but I liked this. The fact of the matter is that even if this is unrealistic about how a dog would think is a sad reality that this same thing is happening all over the country. The rescues are stretched to the limit, well they certainly are in my area.
If a poem like this makes even a few people rethink giving up their dogs then its a job well done. As is always said, "A dog is for life, not just for christmas". Just a thought as this seems to be the new thing but Maybe that should be changed to "A dog is for life, not just till you have to move"